EU Recycling Icons Library

Generic universal recycling symbol. Indicates the object can, in principle, be recycled.

Public domain. Safe to use on any packaging. Often paired with a percentage (e.g. 80%) indicating recycled content.

Reminds consumers to dispose of packaging responsibly. Not a recycling claim.

Public domain (Keep Britain Tidy). No legal weight, purely advisory. Works well on packaging where recycling claims would be misleading.

Polyethylene terephthalate. Used for beverage bottles and food trays.

ASTM D7611/D7611M (public standard). Apply to PET primary packaging. Commonly paired with 'PET 1' text.

High-density polyethylene. Used for detergent bottles and rigid containers.

ASTM D7611 standard. Apply to HDPE primary packaging. Recycled back to HDPE via the kerbside stream.

Polyvinyl chloride. Generally considered difficult to recycle.

ASTM D7611 standard. PVC is declining in packaging use due to recyclability concerns — prefer PET / PE when possible.

Low-density polyethylene. Used for films, squeeze bottles, and bags.

ASTM D7611 standard. Apply to LDPE film and flexible packaging. Kerbside recycling availability varies by country.

Polypropylene. Used for yogurt cups, bottle caps, and microwaveable trays.

ASTM D7611 standard. Widely recycled in the EU kerbside streams — a safer PP claim than some other polymers.

Polystyrene / EPS foam. Used for disposable cutlery, CD cases, EPS protective inserts.

ASTM D7611 standard. EPS is being phased out in many EU countries under SUP Directive. Prefer moulded pulp or cardboard inserts where possible.

Any plastic that doesn't match 1–6. Bio-plastics (PLA), multi-layer films, acrylics.

ASTM D7611 standard. Recyclability is case-by-case. Consider printing the actual polymer (e.g. 'PLA') alongside the 7 for clarity.

Generic paper fibre recycling icon. Often shown with 'PAP 20/21/22' resin-equivalent codes.

Use for corrugated, solid board, and paper packaging. For FSC / PEFC certification marks, use the official certification logos only if you hold a chain-of-custody licence.

Mandatory French disposal marking (Décret n° 2014-1577). Signals the product is covered by an extended producer responsibility scheme.

REQUIRED on all packaging placed on the French market since 2022. Trademark owned by the French Ministry of Ecology — download only from the official Ministry source.

Paired with Triman, shows consumers exactly which bin each component goes in. Mandatory since Loi AGEC.

REQUIRED alongside Triman. Citeo owns the artwork and licenses it free to producers via the CITEO portal. Do not redraw — download the official asset.

Mandatory environmental labelling under DL 152/2006. Must show material family code + disposal instruction.

REQUIRED on packaging placed on the Italian market. CONAI provides a free generator and downloadable templates.

Indicates the producer participates in a Spanish packaging PRO (ECOEMBES, Ecovidrio).

OPTIONAL in Spain — participation in ECOEMBES is mandatory, but the mark itself is no longer required on-pack as of 2023. Trademark owned by PRO EUROPE.

Indicates the producer has licensed the Green Dot for the German dual system.

OPTIONAL since 2009 (the LUCID register replaced the on-pack requirement). Only use it if you hold a current licence from Der Grüne Punkt GmbH.